Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
Russian forces are experiencing “command-and-control” problems and are communicating over unsecured channels as they try to gain momentum in the war in Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Monday.
“We do see them having some command-and-control difficulties,” a senior US defence official told Pentagon reporters, citing Russian forces' inability in some cases to integrate air and ground attacks and communicate effectively.
“We are seeing them use a lot more unclassified communications because their classified communications capabilities … for one reason or another are not as strong as they should be,” the official said.
The Pentagon did not confirm Ukrainian reports that five Russian generals have been killed in the war so far but argued that Moscow's logistical difficulties could make their forces more prone to attacks.
The US official said Russia has fired more than 1,100 missiles in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry on Saturday said it had used a hypersonic Kinzhal missile for the first time in action in Ukraine. The US official said the Pentagon could neither confirm nor refute the use of a hypersonic missile.
“It could be that they're running low on precision-guided munitions,” the official gave as one possible reason Russia could be using hypersonic missiles and dumb bombs.
But at this point in the war and with Russia reportedly not achieving its objectives, the defence official saw Moscow looking for a “break out” moment.
“What we assess is that they are looking for a chance to break out. They are looking for a chance to gain some momentum, not even regain momentum because they never really had it.”
This could lead to intensified bombardments in Ukraine.
“With increased long-range fire and missile strikes, artillery bombardment and trying to encircle a city so that you can lob more long-range fire into those cities, [that] is a reflection of what some people believe is a desperate attempt by them to gain some momentum to try to turn the course of the war,” the official said.
Turning the course of the war could then be used “to improve their position at the negotiating table to get some kind of leverage, because right now it doesn't appear like they have a lot of leverage to negotiate with".
Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained that the war is going according to plan and that his forces have achieved their set objectives so far.
The Pentagon said Russia has been increasing its naval activity in the northern Black Sea, though there are currently no indications of an imminent attack on the port city of Odesa.
“The Russians have a little bit more than a dozen warships of different stripes and sizes,” the official said.
That is double the number of warships the Pentagon said Russia had in the area last week.
The Pentagon said Ukraine is still putting up a stiff resistance that has kept air superiority contested as ground forces fend off Russian attacks near Kyiv.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
